Vitex plant named ‘SMVACBD’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Vitex  plant named ‘SMVACBD’, characterized by its compact and upright plant habit; moderately vigorous growth habit; freely branching habit; full and dense plants; freely flowering habit; violet blue-colored flowers that are held above and beyond the foliar plane on upright panicles; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Vitex Agnus-castus.

Cultivar denomination: ‘SMVACBD’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Vitex plant, botanically known as Vitex Agnus-castus and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘SMVACBD’.

The new Vitex plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Grand Haven, Mich. The objective of the breeding program is to create new compact and uniform Vitex plants with attractive leaf and flower coloration.

The new Vitex plant originated from an open-pollination in July, 2008 in Grand Haven, Mich. of an unnamed selection of Vitex Agnus-castus, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with an unknown selection of Vitex Agnus-castus as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Vitex plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled environment in Grand Haven, Mich. in July, 2011.

Asexual reproduction of the new Vitex plant by softwood cuttings in a controlled environment in Grand Haven, Mich. since July, 2011 has shown that the unique features of this new Vitex plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Vitex have not been observed under all possible combinations of environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘SMVACBD’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘SMVACBD’ as a new and distinct Vitex plant:

-   -   1. Compact and upright plant habit.     -   2. Moderately vigorous growth habit.     -   3. Freely branching habit; full and dense plants.     -   4. Freely flowering habit.     -   5. Violet blue-colored flowers that are held above and beyond         the foliar plane on upright panicles.     -   6. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Vitex can be compared to plants of the female parent selection. Plants of the new Vitex differ primarily from plants of the female parent selection in plant size as plants of the new Vitex are compact and about half the size of the female parent selection. In addition, plants of the new Vitex have smaller inflorescences than plants of the female parent selection.

Plants of the new Vitex can be compared to plants of Vitex Agnus-castus ‘Shoal Creek’, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Grand Haven, Mich., plants of the new Vitex differed from plants of ‘Shoal Creek’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Vitex were much more compact than plants of         ‘Shoal Creek’.     -   2. Plants of the new Vitex had smaller inflorescences than         plants of ‘Shoal Creek’.     -   3. Flowers of plants of the new Vitex were darker in color than         flowers of plants of ‘Shoal Creek’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Vitex plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Vitex plant.

The photograph on the first sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘SMVACBD’ grown in an outdoor nursery.

The photograph on the second sheet is a close-up view of a typical flowering plant of ‘SMVACBD’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations and measurements describe plants grown during the summer in an outdoor nursery in Grand Haven, Mich. and under cultural practices typical of commercial Vitex production. Plants were two years old when the photographs were taken and three years old when the description was taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Vitex Agnus-castus ‘SMVACBD’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Unnamed selection of Vitex             Agnus-castus, not patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Unknown selection of Vitex             Agnus-castus, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By softwood cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About 20 days at             temperatures about 22° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About three             months at temperatures about 22° C.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; dense. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant form and habit.—Perennial deciduous shrub; compact and             upright plant habit; inverted triangle; freely branching             habit with about 68 lateral branches developing per plant;             full and dense plant habit; moderately vigorous growth             habit.         -   Plant height.—About 1 meter.         -   Plant diameter.—About 1.5 meters. -   Lateral branch description:     -   -   Length.—About 63 cm.         -   Diameter.—About 5 mm.         -   Internode length.—About 5 cm.         -   Strength.—Strong.         -   Aspect.—Upright to about 45° from vertical.         -   Fragrance.—Aromatic when broken.         -   Texture, developing.—Slightly pubescent.         -   Texture, developed.—Smooth, glabrous.         -   Color, developing.—Close to 166A.         -   Color, developed.—Close to 199A. -   Leaf description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Opposite, palmately compound with five to seven             leaflets per leaf.         -   Leaflet.—About 10 cm.         -   Leaflet width.—About 2.5 cm.         -   Leaflet shape.—Oblanceolate.         -   Apex.—Acute.         -   Base.—Cuneate to slightly obtuse.         -   Margin.—Entire.         -   Texture, upper surface.—Smooth, glabrous.         -   Texture, lower surface.—Slightly pubescent.         -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate.         -   Color.—Developing leaves, upper surface: Close to 147A.             Developing leaves, lower surface: Close to 191A. Fully             expanded leaves, upper surface: Close to 147A; midvein,             close to 143A; lateral venation, close to 147B. Fully             expanded leaves, lower surface: Close to 147B and 191A;             venation, close to 143C.         -   Petioles.—Length: About 2 mm. Diameter: About 1.5 mm.             Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color,             upper and lower surfaces: Close to 147A. -   Inflorescence & flower description:     -   -   Flower arrangement and habit.—Single campanulate flowers             arranged in terminal panicles; flowers face mostly upward,             outward or downward; freely flowering habit with about 212             flowers developing per inflorescence.         -   Natural flowering season.—Plants flower continuously during             the late summer, late August to mid-September in Michigan.         -   Flower longevity on the plant.—Flowers last about four to             eight weeks; flowers persistent.         -   Fragrance.—Aromatic.         -   Inflorescence length.—About 16 cm.         -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 3 cm.         -   Flowers.—Appearance: Five-lobed campanulate. Diameter: About             8 mm. Depth (height): About 1 cm.         -   Flower buds.—Length: About 6 mm. Diameter: About 2 mm.             Shape: Elliptical to obovate. Color: Close to 191A to 191B.         -   Corolla.—Arrangement: Single whorl of five fused petals; one             larger than the other four. Petal length, largest petal:             About 4 mm. Petal length, smaller four petals: About 3 mm.             Petal width, largest petal: About 3.5 mm. Petal width,             smaller four petals: About 2 mm. Petal lobe shape, all             petals: Oblong. Petal lobe apex, all petals: Obtuse. Petal             lobe margin, all petals: Entire. Petal texture, all petals,             upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color, all             petals: When opening and fully opened, upper surface: Close             to 89A. When opening and fully opened, lower surface: Close             to 92C.         -   Calyx.—Arrangement: Single whorl of five fused sepals; calyx             campanulate in shape. Length: About 1 mm. Diameter: About             1 mm. Sepal apex: Acute. Sepal margin: Entire. Sepal             texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Sepal             color, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 191B.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 16 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm.             Strength: Strong. Aspect: Mostly erect. Texture: Smooth,             glabrous. Color: Close to 174A and 138B.         -   Pedicels.—Length: About 3 mm. Diameter: About 1 mm.             Strength: Strong, flexible. Aspect: About 30° to 90° from             peduncle axis. Color: Close to 197C.         -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity: Four per flower.             Anther size: About 1 mm by 2 mm. Anther shape: Oblong.             Anther color: Close to 202B. Pollen amount: Moderate. Pollen             color: Close to 202B. Pistils: Quantity: One per flower.             Pistil length: About 3 mm. Stigma shape: Globular. Stigma             color: Close to 138C. Style length: About 2.8 mm. Style             color: Close to 92A. Ovary color: Close to 138C. Seeds and             fruits: Seed and fruit development have not been observed on             plants of the new Vitex. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Vitex have been observed have     good garden performance as exhibited by its tolerance to rain, wind     and drought. Plants of the new Vitex have been observed to tolerate     temperatures ranging from about −27° C. to about 41° C. -   Pathogen & pest resistance: Plants of the new Vitex have not been     observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Vitex     plants. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Vitex plant named ‘SMVACBD’ as illustrated and described. 